Essentials of Virginia Civil Motions Practice (Online Seminar)

A pre-recorded streaming video replay of the October 2018 webcast, Essentials of Virginia Civil Motions Practice.

A motion—asking the court for a particular ruling in your favor—can be as important to winning a case as a brilliant direct examination or a compelling closing argument. Every successful litigator must have the knowledge of all suitable motions at hand, and be ready to deploy them at the correct time before, during, and after trial.

This seminar will address most of the motions that typically arise in a civil case in Virginia. Our expert speakers will address the basics of each: purpose, prerequisites, content, and timing; and share their experience of how and when each is used to the best effect. They will also discuss how to resist motions made by the opponent. Among the motions to be discussed:

• Motions in limine
• Motions for summary judgment
• Motions for attorney fees
• Motions concerning experts
• Discovery and spoliation motions

Whether you are new to litigation, or merely seeking to review the basics, this seminar will improve your performance, and present you with a good outline of motions you can deploy in your everyday practice.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Mark K. Cathey, Glenn Robinson Cathey Memmer & Skaff PLC / Roanoke

Mark Cathey is a litigator representing individuals, corporations, insurance companies and their insureds in cases involving general liability, products liability, personal injury, insurance coverage, and other matters. He has served as lead counsel in more than 120 jury trials in 22 Virginia jurisdictions and federal courts.  He also has handled numerous appeals to the Supreme Court of Virginia.

Mr. Cathey was admitted to the Virginia State Bar in 1993.  He is a graduate of the University of Virginia (B.A. English 1990) and of the Washington and Lee University School of Law (J.D. 1993). He came to the firm, as the lone associate at the two-partner firm then known as Jones & Glenn, in 1997 after three-and-a-half years of FELA litigation at Cranwell & Moore.   He became a partner with Jones Glenn & Robinson in 2002.

Mr. Cathey is an active leader in the community.  He currently serves as a Trustee of the Roanoke City School Board, and served as a member of the Virginia State Bar Council, the governing body of the Virginia State Bar from 2011–2016. He served as President of the Roanoke Bar Association in 2008–09 and was on the Board of that Association from 2005–2010.  He served as chair of the Roanoke Bar Foundation in 2009–10. He is a member of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association and the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys.  He has been a Master of the Bench of the Ted Dalton Chapter of the American Inns of Court, and is currently an Advocate-ranked member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), for which he currently serves as Treasurer for the Virginia Chapter. Mr. Cathey frequently speaks and writes on liability, insurance, and discovery issues.

Nathan H. Schnetzler, Frith Anderson + Peake, PC / Roanoke

Nathan Schnetzler focuses his practice in civil litigation, particularly in the areas of insurance defense, insurance coverage, local government and Section 1983 litigation, and professional liability in federal and state court.

Mr. Schnetzler, a native of Rockbridge County, Virginia, graduated magna cum laude from Hampden-Sydney College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, with honors, and a minor in public service. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the Washington and Lee University School of Law.

After graduating from Washington and Lee, Mr. Schnetzler clerked for the judges of the Twenty-Third Judicial Circuit of Virginia in Roanoke, Virginia, and then served as a law clerk to the Honorable Michael F. Urbanski, United States District Judge for the Western District of Virginia. As a law clerk, he gained substantial courtroom experience while working on a variety of cases in the areas of labor and employment, 42 U.S.C. § 1983, products liability, insurance coverage, medical malpractice, and federal and state criminal matters.